


7/7

by ReverberatingEchoes



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Kuro is getting better at comforting people, M/M, Mahiru cries, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 23:18:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19778530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReverberatingEchoes/pseuds/ReverberatingEchoes
Summary: Kuro wakes up one afternoon and feels like he should be remembering something important.He turns to his other side and sees the small calendar that Mahiru keeps on his bedside table.The date today reads July 5.Oh,Kuro thinks, realization dawning on him,Mahiru's birthday is coming up soon.





	7/7

**Author's Note:**

  * For [orangescribbles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangescribbles/gifts).



> Hello orangescribbes! 
> 
> I wrote this in between finishing my paperworks, so it took me a while to finish the story. I had so much fun with it, though! This is a small gift from me to you for landing your first job! I'm so so proud of you and I'm sure Mahiru is so proud of you, too! We're cheering you on, stay strong with work! :3 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this short story! :3

Kuro wakes up one afternoon and feels like he should be remembering something important.

  
  
  


He lounges for a bit longer on the bed, curling on his side and thinking. He can hear Mahiru moving around in the kitchen and singing along to a popular pop song.

  
  
  


It makes Kuro smile a bit. Singing while cooking is one of his Eve's more endearing habits and Kuro wishes Mahiru wasn't so shy about it. But as it is, Mahiru only sings when it's just the two of them in the apartment and even then, he only does it when he thinks Kuro is still asleep.

  
  
  


(Kuro doesn't bother telling Mahiru that he spends some minutes just listening to him sing before deciding to get up.)

  
  
  


Kuro does that now, too. He lets Mahiru's voice wash over him as runs his fingers through his hair, thinking. Just what exactly should he be remembering?

  
  
  


He turns to his other side and sees the small calendar Mahiru keeps on his bedside table. 

  
  
  


The date today reads July 5.

  
  
  


_Oh_ , Kuro thinks, realization dawning on him, _Mahiru's birthday is coming up soon_.

  
  
  


He contemplates for a few moments before he reaches out to grab his phone. Scrolling through it, Kuro makes a decision. 

  
  
  


He sends a text to Lily and hopes the other Servamp will be able to get what he’s looking for.

  
  
  


\--

  
  
  


_"Brother, it’s here. I got the simplest one available."_

  
  
  


"Thank you. Just leave it in front of the door at midnight. I’ll give you the payment the next time we meet."

  
  
  


_"Got it. Oh, aren't you just the sweetest, Brother? Doing things like this for your Eve. Ah, my heart is singing!"_

  
  
  


"...Mahiru deserves it."

  
  
  


_"I have to agree with you on that. He’s really secretive about it, isn’t he?"_

  
  
  


“He is.”

  
  
  


_“We all have something for him, too, but we all decided to wait until a little bit after. Misono was a bit upset that he had to find out about it through the grapevine, but he benevolently agreed to be patient with the rest of us.”_

  
  
  


“Thank you for going along with this.”

  
  
  


_“Anything in the name of love, Brother.”_

  
  
  


\--

  
  
  


Mahiru is the kind of person that makes a big deal out of everyone's else’s birthday but his own.

  
  
  


He’s the kind of person that has everyone's birthdays saved on his phone calendar. He's the kind of person that makes sure to greet them the night before the actual date. If time permits it, he even throws a small house party for the celebrant where he takes charge of the cooking and all the other preparations. He's a very thoughtful and attentive person.

  
  
  


(Kuro knows this. Mahiru's thrown him a party before and while it was embarrassing to be at the center of everyone's attention, Kuro doesn't deny that the party and being doted on made him feel warm inside.)

  
  
  


But when it comes to his own birthday, Mahiru becomes as discreet as possible. Kuro hadn't even known the date until he had stumbled upon the birthday card and the small gift Mahiru's uncle had sent him. 

  
  
  


As he and Mahiru eat late dinner together in companionable silence the night before the Mahiru’s birthday, Kuro finds himself wondering just how Mahiru celebrated his birthday all these years, if he even celebrated at all. He ponders on the possibility that perhaps Mahiru is the kind of person that gets shy about his birthday judging from the fact that he never really lets other people know about it.

  
  
  


"Something wrong, Kuro?" Mahiru asks suddenly, startling Kuro out of his thoughts. Kuro glances at him and finds Mahiru staring at him curiously.

  
  
  


Kuro tilts his head to the side. "Your birthday is tomorrow," he states, not beating around the bush. Mahiru blinks at him, surprised.

  
  
  


"How did you know?"

  
  
  


"I didn't mean to, but I saw the card and the gift your uncle sent you."

  
  
  


"Oh." Mahiru chuckles, embarrassed. "I thought I hid that properly."

  
  
  


_So he didn't want me to find out,_ Kuro confirms. Setting down his chopsticks, he asks softly, "Can you tell me why you don't want other people to know about your birthday?"

  
  
  


_You make sure to celebrate all of ours with us,_ Kuro thinks but doesn't say, _so why don't you want us to celebrate with you?_

  
  
  


Mahiru looks away and stays quiet. Kuro doesn't push him and only waits patiently for his Eve's reply.

  
  
  


"I don't want to bother people with it," he eventually answers, giving Kuro a lackluster smile. "People are already so busy with other things. My birthday is just another date on the calendar, anyway. It doesn't really matter if it gets celebrated or not."

  
  
  


Hearing him speak about it so matter of factly makes Kuro pause. "Mahiru," he begins, making sure to look into his eyes, "your birthday isn't just another date on the calendar."

  
  
  


Mahiru shrugs, looking away again. “Sure it is. It’s just another July 7th, Kuro, and besides, I’m not a kid, I’m not going to kick a fuss about my own birthday.”

  
  
  


(Mahiru’s response makes another more sobering possibility flash through Kuro’s mind. Could it be that there were people before who berated Mahiru about his birthday and celebrating it? He knows His Eve’s mother had passed away early on and that his other relatives, excluding Tooru Shirota, weren’t very kind to him. If Mahiru’s relatives constantly made him feel like he was nothing but a nuisance, if they made him feel bad for wanting to celebrate his own birthday, it would make sense that Mahiru would be very hesitant in letting other people know about the date and any kind of celebration would simply be out of the question for him.) 

  
  


It makes Kuro sad to hear how Mahiru undervalues his own birthday. Out of everyone, Mahiru is probably the one who deserves the most attention and praise during his special day seeing as he’s always taken care of the people around him. 

  
  
  


_He’s done so much for everyone,_ Kuro thinks, _he deserves to be spoiled even if only it’s during his birthday._

  
  
  


(But if Kuro had his way and if Mahiru would let him, he would want to spoil his Eve every day for the rest of their lives.)

  
  
  


Kuro glances at the clock and notices that it’s a little past 11 o’clock in the evening. Deciding that it’s time to put his little plan into action, he stands up, holding out a hand for Mahiru to take. 

  
  
  


“Come with me,” he says to Mahiru, “I have something to show you.”

  
  
  


Mahiru stares at Kuro’s outstretched hand for a brief moment before replying, “It’s almost midnight, what are you planning to show me?”

  
  
  


Kuro huffs lightly and grabs Mahiru’s hand, pulling him up. “Something nice,” he answers vaguely, “now let’s go.”

  
  
  


“Wha-wait, Kuro!” 

  
  
  


\--

  
  
  


Kuro found this place several years ago.

  
  
  


The small forest is a little haven away from the bustle of the city and before he got contracted to Mahiru, Kuro had always retreated to this place whenever he felt particularly overwhelmed or whenever he felt like he wanted some peace and quiet.

  
  
  


The fireflies emitting a gentle glow are just a bonus.

  
  
  


Mahiru gazes around in wonder. “I never knew a place like this existed,” he says, awe evident in his voice, “it’s so beautiful.” Kuro quietly trails behind him and lets him take in the scenery. It fills him with a sense of satisfaction knowing that Mahiru’s appreciating it the same way that he does.

  
  


He watches Mahiru for a bit longer before saying, “This is one of my gifts to you for your birthday.” 

  
  
  


Mahiru turns to look at him, lips parted in surprise. “Kuro…” 

  


“This place has always made me feel peaceful,” Kuro begins, walking closer to him. He stops when he’s directly in front of Mahiru. “And I wanted to share this place with you.” 

  
  
  


Kuo cracks a small smile, then. “It’s not much, but happy birthday, Mahiru, thank you for being born.”

  
  
  


It’s a little past midnight and Mahiru looks close to crying. Reaching out, he draws Kuro into a tight embrace. Kuro returns the gesture, resting his cheek on the top of his Eve’s head. 

  
  
  


“You’re important to us,” Kuro murmurs, stroking his back in soothing motions. “We want to have the chance to show you that, especially during your birthday.”

  
  
  


Kuro feels warm tears dripping onto his collarbone. “We’re all glad to have you in our lives,” he continues softly.

  
  
  


Mahiru cries for a while longer and Kuro only proceeds to hold him tighter.

  
  
  


\--

  
  
  


“I had a relative who once told me I didn’t have any right to want to celebrate my birthday because I was nothing but a burden to those around me, that my birthday was just another date on the calendar, anyway.”

  
  
  


This is what Mahiru shares once the two of them reach the apartment. Mahiru looks a little melancholic at remembering those words and Kuro wishes he could somehow protect him from the pain of the memory. But as it is, all Kuro can do at the moment is to listen carefully, so that is what he does. He carefully listens to the pieces of Mahiru’s heart and tenderly holds them close in his.

  
  
  


This is Kuro’s way of saying, _I won’t let anything else hurt you._

  
“I guess it kind of got stuck in my mind,” Mahiru says softly, leaning against Kuro. “It honestly made me feel terrible about being happy about my own birthday. I felt like I would be troubling everyone if I asked them to celebrate with me, so I decided to keep quiet about it.”

  
  
  


Mahiru didn’t deserve to hear something like that. Truthfully, no one ever deserves to be told something so cruel. Distinctly feeling Mahiru’s pain in his own heart and wanting to offer him some sort of comfort, Kuro reaches out to intertwine their fingers together. Mahiru doesn’t pull away and only snuggles closer to him. 

  
  
  


“But at the same time, I didn’t want anyone else to be feeling the way I did, so I wanted to let everyone enjoy their own birthdays as much as possible,” Mahiru continues, eyes slipping closed. “It seems kind of silly now that I’m talking about it out loud like this, don’t you think?”

  
  
  


“No, it’s not silly at all,” Kuro assures him gently, “you didn’t deserve to hear those words from that relative of yours and you don’t deserve to deal with all these negative feelings, too.”

  
  
  


“You’re important to all of us, Mahiru.” He repeats what he said in the forest because he wants to drive his point across. “You were never a burden and you will never be. The only thing I’m hoping for now is that one day, you’ll get to celebrate your birthday without any lingering feelings of sadness or guilt. You deserve to be happy, Mahiru.”

  
  
  


He sees Mahiru’s lips curl up. It’s slight, but it’s a more genuine smile and Kuro prefers it over the lackluster one Mahiru gave him earlier. 

  
  
  


“When did you get so good at talking about feelings and comforting people, huh?” Mahiru asks lightly, teasing him. 

  
  
  


Kuro chuckles. “I think I learned from the best.”

  
  
  


“I do feel a bit better,” Mahiru admits, opening his eyes and gazing at him fondly. “Thank you for today, Kuro, really.”

  
  
  


Kuro raises their intertwined hands and presses a soft kiss to Mahiru’s knuckles. Mahiru turns red at the action and it makes Kuro laugh. 

  
  
  


(He loves Mahiru so much.)

  
  
  


“I told you I had another gift for you,” Kuro says, suddenly bringing his face closer to Mahiru. He relishes the way his Eve’s eyes widen and the way his cheeks turn redder.

  
  
  


“Y-you did…”

  
  
  


“Close your eyes, Mahiru,” he whispers and Mahiru’s eyes flutter close. Kuro grabs the gift he hid under the bed and places it on Mahiru’s lap. Mahiru instinctively opens his eyes and looks down when he feels the soft fabric brush the top of his legs.

  
  
  


“What-? A hoodie?”

  
  
  


“I had Lily help me pick out the design,” Kuro reveals, watching Mahiru lift the orange hoodie up. “I saw it when we went out grocery shopping the other day and thought that it would suit you.”

  
  
  


Mahiru’s cheeks are still flushed and he looks at Kuro with something akin to disbelief. Kuro knows how easily flustered Mahiru can get and he can’t help but want to tease him, so he asks, “Were you hoping for something else?”

  
  
  


Mahiru sputters and shakes his head, recovering. “I’ll-I’ll try it on now.” 

  
  
  


He puts it on and Kuro was right, it does suit him. _Orange has always been his color_ , Kuro thinks to himself. 

  
  
  


“It’s so comfy!” Mahiru exclaims, pleased. “Thank you, Kuro!” 

  
  
  


Kuro gives him a small smile. “Do you want to receive your last gift?” He asks, cocking his head to the side.

  


Mahiru stares at him, astonished. “There’s one more?”

  
  
  


Kuro nods. He motions for Mahiru to give his hand to him and Mahiru obeys. Kuro makes sure to look into Mahiru’s eyes before he places Mahiru’s palm on his chest where his heart beats a steady rhythm.

  
  
  


_Thump. Thump. Thump._

  
  
  


“You know, this one beats for you,” Kuro tells him, quiet and sincere, “and since it beats for you, I want you to have it. That is, if you'll have it.”

  
  
  


Mahiru gazes at him before smiling warmly. He looks close to crying again, but Kuro thinks it’s safe to assume that it’s because he’s happy. 

  
  
  


“I don’t think I can reject a gift as beautiful as this,” Mahiru replies softly, moving closer to Kuro and pulling him into an embrace. “Thank you, I’ll treasure it for the rest of my life.”

  
  


(And if Kuro kisses Mahiru once, twice, numerous times after his Eve’s reply, he’ll claim that it’s because those kisses come as a package deal with his heart.) 

  
  
  


\--

  
  
  


Mahiru is sleeping soundly, curled up to him. 

  
  
  


Kuro idly plays with his hair and smiles when Mahiru shifts closer, seeking his warmth. He glances at the bedside table where Mahiru’s cellphone lays forgotten. The first thing Mahiru will see in the morning of his birthday are well-wishes from the other Servamps and the other Eves. 

  
  
  


Kuro knows that they all prepared gifts for Mahiru the moment they found out about his birthday. Lily told him that Misono’s written a three-page letter for Mahiru, aggressively highlighting Mahiru’s good points and aggressively validating their friendship. Hyde said that Licht composed a short melody especially for him seeing as Mahiru has the potential to be an Angel like him. Hugh mentioned that Tetsu’s planning to give the two of them discount coupons to their family’s inn. All of them, including Kuro, planned a surprise birthday party for Mahiru at the Alicein mansion. Kuro can’t wait to see how Mahiru will react. 

  
  
  


He smiles, wrapping an arm around Mahiru, the boy who loves everyone and who everyone loves in return. 

  
  
  


“Happy birthday, Mahiru,” he whispers, “thank you for being born.” 

  
  
  


\--

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Belated Happy Birthday, Mahiru! We love you.  
> 2\. Congratulations on landing the new job, orangescribbles! I’m so proud of you! I love you lots!  
> 3\. I really hope you all enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please tell me what you think!  
> 4\. Thank you and have a good day!


End file.
